


Swept By The Current

by PrincessEvaOfTheZone



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Heldalf Is Still Human, M/M, Some Humor, The Main Seraphim Are Now Gods Of Their Respectful Element
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 11:38:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14164026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessEvaOfTheZone/pseuds/PrincessEvaOfTheZone
Summary: Sorey was a boy lucky to be alive, but was saved by the water. Finally given the opportunity to explore the world, Sorey meets Lailah, that knows more of his destiny than he knows himself - to be a guard for a beautiful, smart, yet cocky water god, that has been waiting for him, sleeping under the current.An adventure filled with magic, evil, friendship and love. A bond formed, that even death would never sever.





	1. The God Under The Water

From the day he was born, Sorey had been an adventurer. His first ever adventure had been getting lost from his parents and finding himself struggling to stay afloat in the raging current, that was slowly sweeping him farther away from the village he was born in. Just a few weeks old, and born prematurely, the little boy looked around the world with curious brown eyes, not at all troubled by the possible doom, that could rear it's ugly head any second, if the little basket he was floating in, got turned around. He didn't cry, just smiled at everything his basket passed - stone bridges, forests of green and bronze, mountains, that could be seen in the distance, large cities, that never noticed the small passenger in the straw basket, just floating by, too preoccupied yelling at each-other, swinging their fists and making blood pour. The time he spent passing through those places, the infant cried, not old enough to understand what it meant, but deep down in his still innocent mind, he knew it was bad and wrong.

His journey lasted for almost a week, until the basket finally stopped against a bush of daffodils. The water dragged the basket into the bush, the soft smell of flowers tickling the baby's nose, making him giggle and sneeze. A rustling sound made the boy quiet down and turn his head towards the sound of the flower bush being cleared away from him with rough, calloused hands. An old man looked at him from above expression turning from concern to surprise and joy. The man picked the basket up into his arms, turned his head left and right, to see, if anyone else was after the small child. When he saw nobody in a mile radius, the man left the riverside, the boy still in his arms. The man took him to a small village, where he saw many people, his face twisting into a smile, when the beautiful people looked surprised, as if it was weird, that the boy could see them. He was taken into a house after a while and put down on a soft blanket near a fire. The man took him out of the basket and held him in his arms, offering the boy a leaf with milk on it, the sharpened end of the plant making it easy to deliver the drink into the small mouth. After the baby had eaten, he snuggled into the warm arms, sleep drawing near. Before the child fell asleep, it heard the man whisper softly.

_''A child given a new begging. Your name, will be Sorey.''_

~~~~~~ _ **17 years later**_ ~~~~~~

A young brunette jumped over a trench inside the ruins, mapping out the already familiar place, drawing the layout of it, when his foot slipped on a rock covered in moss, making him let out a startled yell, falling backwards. His quick reflexes kicked in, as he pulled out a rope with a hook tied at the end of it, throwing it at a ledge, to avoid the fall. He dangled several feet in the air, looking around. He had fallen into the floor below, and it seemed like there were no exits, except up the rope. Just as he decided to make his ascent, he spotted a body in the corner of the room, amongst the debris. Looking down, he saw a close enough stone, that seemed to be accessible, if he wanted to return to the rope. After his descent, he rushed towards the body, once close enough, realizing it was a girl, that looked no older than him, and by the looks of it, was still alive, the rising and falling of her chest indicating life. Sorey gently shook the girl by the shoulder, and let go once she started to stir. 

Green eyes slowly scanned their surroundings, finally landing on the brunette boy. Frightened, the girl reached for the spear, that was lying next to her, cautiously. Sorey raised his arms up in surrender, explaining that he wasn't a threat and was trying to help, and wanted to find out how she had gotten there. The girl was still vary of him, but explained that she remembered getting lost in the woods and suddenly falling through a hole in the ground, fainting from force of the fall. With his help, the girl made her way up the rope, but fainted again from loss of energy once she was safely up. With nothing left to do, and to innocent and caring to leave anybody in danger, Sorey threw the girl over his back and carried her to Elysia.

Once Sorey reached the seraphim village, he was met with surprised stares directed at the girl he was carrying to Gramps' house. He knocked on the door, before letting himself in. Zenrus stood up shocked, as Sorey deposited the girl on the floor, looking nervous, but explained, how he found her. Finished with his story, Sorey waited for a response, while Zenrus finished healing the girls' visible wounds, but he didn't speak. Feeling awkward, Sorey excused himself, and left to go towards the gate of the village. He sat in the middle, looking dreamily towards the path, that he was forbid to go down. He was content with his life here in Elysia, he had seraphim friends, he loved Gramps dearly, and he could explore the ruins, that sat right next to the border of the village, but he couldn't help to wish for something more. He knew he wasn't like the Elysians, he knew he was human, and a human, who could see the seraphim, a talent that almost no human possessed these days. He longed to see the world beyond the borders of his home village. Getting lost deep in his thoughts, Sorey reached under his shirt to pull out his necklace, that he never took off- a small green gem, that had a small piece broken off, nowhere to be found. 

Gramps had told him he had found the gem in his basket, recognizing, that it had some sort of spiritual power inside, but had no idea from where it had came from, or what kind of power it held inside of it. But since the day Sorey had learned to walk, he had never taken it off, believing it was a good luck charm, that it had been the cause for his survival in the dangerous trip in the river. He sat there, for what seemed like hours, just staring into space, twirling the gem in his fingers, until he heard slow footsteps approaching. He turned around and saw the girl he had saved from the ruins. She sat down next to him, looking towards the path before speaking.

''My name is Alisha Diphda and I am the princess of the kingdom of Ladylake. I am very grateful you helped me, but I must return home now. If you ever need something, you can come see me at the castle. Ladylake is just past this forest, just a day's walk, as I found out from this map I found in your house.'' Alisha showed him the map, which Sorey guessed Gramps had strategically placed, so the girl could find her way out of Elysia as soon as possible. ''All I wish to ask for is some food and water, and I'll be on my way.'' Sorey nodded, providing Alisha with necessities for her trip, with a small wave and a thank you, the girl left. Sorey waved back, and mulled over her offer in his head, as he neared his house. He opened the door, surprised to see Zenrus inside, sitting by the fireplace, motioning with his hand for him to sit down. Once seated, Zenrus let out a heavy sigh.

''Sorey, you are almost 18, and you have never even seen the world you belong to. And today, you found a real human, a group you belong to. I knew this day would come, but I hoped it wouldn't be so soon. I wish to protect you, but I also can't deny you your freedom. All I ask of you now, is to visit, once in a while.'' With a small smile, that seemed to be just a touch sad, Zenrus handed Sorey a book. A book filled of the wonders of the world, the history, and most importantly, the legends of spirits and the Gods. Ever since he was little, Sorey dreamt of adventures, finding Gods and other spirits, exploring the amazing ruins that were hidden in the Celestial Record. With a bright and wide smile, the young man hugged the old spirit, before rushing to stuff his backpack with anything he deemed necessary for a very long trip.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, the villagers of Elysia had gathered to see their one and only human friend off, beginning his first world adventure. Taking a deep breath, Sorey looked back one more time, before stepping past the gates of Elysia. He marched forward, just a little scared of what was to come, but mostly excited to finally see the world he belonged to. He followed the path, that was marked in the map, and remembering the details Alisha had talked about, how to find Ladylake, he reached the large clearing by the time the sun was starting to set, his eyes growing large, as he spotted what seemed to be the aforementioned Ladylake. It was a proud city, standing in the middle of a large lake, and looked even larger, when Sorey finally stood by it's gates. With a deep breath, he ventured inside, immediately overwhelmed by the sounds, smells and the multitude of new things. He kept on wandering the streets until he reached what looked like a church, curious, he went inside, his eyes spotting Alisha at the top of the altar, talking with someone, until his eyes caught, what looked like a young girl sleeping in the middle of the room, a large sword and shield right next to her. He stared at the girl, until she raised her head, meeting his gaze, first confused, but then her expression formed into a surprised one - Sorey finally realized, that she must be a seraphim. But the way she held herself, once she rose up on her legs, her form regal but soft, he couldn't help but think, that he had stumbled into a Goddess.

Their stare was broken, once Alisha finally spotted him, rushing over to greet him with a smile. She offered him a tour of the city, and for a while, Sorey had forgotten about the girl inside the church, until Alisha started talking about the legend of the lady of the lake. She told about a beautiful maiden, that had traveled from a faraway place, found the grieving city in a deep drought and with her power created the lake on which the city now stood. Once they finished with their tour, Alisha showed him to an inn, before leaving for the castle.

The next day, she showed him the library, leaving him to read about the stories of the world, and he stumbled upon a book. The book seemed to contain information about the girl he had seen in the church. It said that a chosen one would be made into a Guard of the Gods, if they performed a set of tasks for the Lady of the Lake, each more difficult than the last. For Sorey, taking a challenge from a God, would seem to be one of the greatest adventures ever. Quietly, he left the library and approached the church once more, finding the girl already awake, staring at him. The innocent and respectful man that he was, he knelt down in prayer in front of the maiden, keeping his eyes at the floor, frozen scared to say something in front of a real Goddess. He heard the girl slowly descend the small flight of stairs, reaching her soft hands under his chin, raising up his head.

''A brave and pure soul, has laid thee life by the feet of a God. An innocent heart with much to learn and experience. A life so young, no chance for it to be tainted by evil of the outside world. A name, meaning a new beginning. Rise up, Sorey of Elysia.'' The girl spoke, and Sorey, surprised jumped to his feet, wandering to himself how she knew his name. _That must be the power of a God..._

''No, I just heard you talking to the princess last night, and she mentioned your birth place and name.'' She smiled jokingly. Sorey blushed and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.''But one must be careful to share their True Name, for it's the most intimate secret between two.'' The girl sat down at the top of the stairs. ''Now then, why have you come here, One, Who Can See All?'' She asked. Sorey gulped, before speaking with a shaky voice.

''Lady of the Lake--''

''Lailah. Lady of the Lake seems too long and formal.'' Lailah said giggling.

''Lady Lailah. I may not know of this place much, or this world, but to help a God in their journey to make it a better place for all, would be a job I would do in a heart beat.'' And before he knew it, Sorey started ramble about things he wished he could do, about his dream of finding a God, and soon he started talking about the Celestial Record, when the Goddess stopped him.

''You know of the Record? A book of our history since the beginning of time...Are you by any chance related to Seraph Zenrus?'' The silver-haired girl asked.

''You know about Gramps?'' Sorey asked innocently.

''Seraph Zenrus is one of the oldest and most powerful seraphim in world. I never knew he had a human child under his wing...or are you even human?'' She raised a delicate eyebrow. Scared he shook his head.

''N-no, I am a human. He told me about how he found me buried in a daffodil bush by the river. I was prematurely born child, but somehow, I had survived a journey in the river. But since the begging, I could see the seraphim. Gramps said it was a miracle I lived, but I kinda think it was possible because of this.'' Sorey said, pulling out his necklace and showing off the green gem, not seeing the surprise in Lailah's eyes, as he talked about the gem like it was the most precious thing in the world. ''Ever since I could remember myself, this stone has been with me everywhere, it's kind of like it's my friend, a good luck charm, that keeps me out of harms way...''

''You have finally come...'' Lailah whispered softly, making Sorey turn his gaze away from the stone. ''Over 700 years, he's been waiting just for you, and now you hold his lost soul with you. The Guard of The Water God, has finally come.'' The Goddess stood up, taking him by the hand and leading him out of the church, heading towards the large fountain in the middle of the square by the castle. She let go of his hand, before raising her hands, creating fire from her fingertips, whispering something in an ancient language, Sorey didn't understand. Slowly, the fountain started to glow red, water clearing from the bottom, revealing a staircase. Lailah motioned for Sorey to go ahead, and he did, cautiously. When he reached the bottom, not even realizing he was there alone, he saw a sight he didn't believe was real. It seemed like he was under the lake, a long hallway stretching over a mile long. He walked all the way until he reached a crystal clear pool of water, almost transparent. He looked into the water, first seeing his reflection, and the necklace around his neck, when it suddenly started to glow, and his reflection turned into something different. 

It looked like a sleeping face of a beautiful young man, hair and skin white as snow, clad in soft blue robes, hands crossed over his chest, sleeping peacefully. Sorey couldn't tear his eyes away from the beautiful man, realizing it must be the God of Water Lailah had mentioned. He stared at him more, before he understood, that that wasn't just a reflection, and the body was literally under the water. Panicking, he reached inside, pulling the body out, forgetting it was a God he was now holding in his arms, out of fear he would drown. Now out of the water and lying in his arms, the water god seemed to look more beautiful, and Sorey was surprised that the body was dry, after he had pulled it out of the water. His green eyes studied the calm sleeping face, until he spotted the golden tiara sitting on his brow. It glowed green in the middle, where there was a small hole, as if it was signaling for him to do something. At first he didn't understand, but looking closer, he saw a small piece of a familiar green gem, the missing piece from the corner of his necklace. Fixing his hold on the body to hold it in one hand, he reached for his necklace, slowly inserting the gem and completing the tiara. 

A rush of wind seemed to pass his ears, whispering a word over and over again. The body in his arms started to move, due to the chest rising and falling with breath. It seemed like the eyes would open any second, waiting for something, a key-word that would wake the god up from his long sleep. The wind twirled the water in the pool around, the current splashing around, asking for something, almost yelling impatiently, for him not doing anything. More time passed Sorey sitting and looking at the face of the man he held in arms. He wondered what the color of the eyes were behind the closed eyelids. The wind picked up more speed, the water rising up into a wave, threatening to pull him under, when Sorey finally heard the word the wind and water yelled clearly. And just before the huge wave hit the two of them, he whispered the word softly.

_Mikleo...._

The wind calmed. The water returned to it's calm state. The eyelids started to twitch, and after a while, they finally opened.

_Violet met Green._


	2. The Oath and the start of the Journey

The violet eyes blinked, looking around the room, before settling on the boy, that was holding him. The brunettes face was frozen in awe, eyes twinkling in wonder. The god shifted in his hold, making Sorey let go of him, offering a hand to stand up. Reluctantly, the god took it, fixing his complicated outfit, before turning his back on his savior and jumped back into the pool of water, disappearing under the surface. Sorey stood shocked for a moment, and realizing what had just happened, tried to stick his hands under the water to reach for the god again, but was stopped by a hand shaped out of water, slapping his hands away. He didn't stop trying, even putting his head under the surface, spotting the male lying down, arms crossed over his chest again, this time what looked like to be in a annoyance. Sorey didn't mind it, flashing a smile at him, before the god blew at his face, the water throwing him a few feet away from the pool, making him splutter and cough.

''Hey, I'm trying to help you!'' Sorey yelled in the direction of the pool, hoping the god heard him through the rippling current that was slowly starting to form in the pool, but didn't receive an answer. A bit annoyed, the brunette stood up, finally scouting the room he was in. Just on the other side of the pool, a large wooden wheel stood still, though it looked like water was supposed to make it turn. Behind it, engraved into the wall, was a large mural. It showed a crowd of humans praying on their knees, as what looked like the God of Water and the Guard of the Gods, judging by the symbol on their glove, held their joined hands in the sky, making the same wheel he saw earlier turn. Walking more along the wall, there were multiple more murals dedicated to the god, that was fuming under the water from where he had woken him up. As Sorey walked, he saw what looked like the legend of the Lady of the Lake depicted on the wall, but it looked like the famous lady, was not even a lady. The bringer of water to the city of Ladylake, was no other than that silver haired god, who had just 'noped' on him just moments ago.

''Oh, beautiful Lady of the Lake, would you please come out and bless me with your presence?'' Sorey asked in a sing-song voice, kneeling down by the pool once more, cautious enough to pull away, when a flustered face broke the surface, spluttering.

''How many times do I have to remind people, I'm not a Lady!? I swear by my mother, if I hear someone call me by that name, I'm going to flood this godforsaken city back into the lake it's sitting on. Leaving me for over 7 decades makes me angry as it it, but suddenly woken up by human, was not the ideal awakening. Now leave me alone, I'm going back to sleep'' The young god kept fuming, almost turning red, as the water around him bubbled and seemed like it was boiling. A small laugh escaped Sorey, making the god realize what he was doing, making it let out an annoyed huff, before descending back into his watery bed, but before he could manage that, Sorey was faster this time, grabbing the god by his hand. 

''Hey, please wait! I was told to come here and wake you up! I'm just as confused and annoyed, well, that's a bit of an overstatement just by looking at you, but I promise I mean no harm. My name's Sorey and---'' As he kept rambling on, the water god tried to slip away back into the pool, but the firm grip on his shoulder forbid him from moving, making him suffer through the long, one-sided conversation, until he heard something familiar. 

''--and I've been reading all about your kind in the Celestial Record, but I never would imagine to meet a real go--'' The silver haired god put a slender finger against the brunettes lips, silencing him, staring into his surprised green eyes. 

''You know of the Celestial Record and understand it?'' The god questioned him. Still a finger placed on his lips, unable to speak, Sorey nodded his head, and innocent twinkle of joy in his eyes. The water god kept looking at him, before finally climbing out of the pool of water and heading over to the wall of the mural, brushing over the symbol of the Guard of the Gods, making it glow blue softly blue. After a moment, the stone shape of the glove on the Guards hand slipped back and down, revealing the real life replica of the glove, decorated in blue beads and soft brown feathers. Slowly, the water spirit took it out of the small compartment, turning back to face Sorey.

''So, this is my Guard, huh? Over 700 years sleeping, waiting for someone to rise me from my sleep, and it's you. Well, I expected more,'' a small, distressed 'hey' escaped the brunettes mouth, making the god smirk a little, before continuing.''but, I can't be complaining, after all, you are the first human in 700 years to see spirits and gods, and even find my resting place. So it seems, I must give you a chance.'' He started walking towards the pool again, but this time around, his feet didn't sink, but he stood on the surface, Sorey blinking, and then realizing he had made it freeze over. The god motioned for him to follow his example, and he did, slightly scared, holding his foot up above the water, until he saw it freezing over and he passed over easily. They met in the middle, sitting right across from each-other.

For a while, the god sat still, murmuring something to himself in the same language Lailah had, that Sorey didn't understand. After that, the violet gaze returned to him, two pale arms stretched in front of him. 

''To serve as the Guard of the Gods, one must leave the life they lived behind and offer it to their Highest Lord. No distractions of worldly pleasures or the taint of malevolence shall make you stray from your path as the Guard. To serve me as my protector, one must share my wish of cleansing this world of the cloud of malevolence sitting over it. You must carry the burden of always being ready to lay your life for us in fight, if there ever came the need, and you may only remain as my closest, if you promise me eternal loyalty, and swear that your mortal life belongs to me. If you are truly ready for this, lay your hand in mine, and we shall form the bond of the Highest Lord and Guard.'' Finished with his speech, the god held out his hands, looking down into the water, waiting for the answer from the young man, that sat across.

Sorey mulled the idea over in his head, agreeing to the conditions of the deal, if it meant he would be able to help the gods make this world a better place. He thought about swearing his loyalty to this water god he had just moments ago woken up from such a long sleep. This beautiful god, that didn't seem real, his soft features and the soft colors he dressed himself in, just accentuating his natural beauty, just like a clean spring of water, flowing through a green forest, providing the nature. Even though he believed the god was a vision, he also didn't know much about him, only the fact, that he was the god, that ruled over the worlds waters, and had slept over for 700 years in this underground temple, his location known only to the Lady of the Lake, who even wasn't the real holder of the title. But, as young and curious Sorey was, he couldn't pass up the opportunity to aid this young spirit, and wished to learn more about him, be the closest to him, a person he could share anything to. And with that determination strong in his heart, Sorey reached out his hands and placed them into the soft palms of the water god.

The god breathed out a sigh, clenching the hands that were placed in his, before chanting something in that language, until, Sorey understood it. It was a beautiful oath of trust, strength, innocence, power and purity. It shamed evil and calamity, and the words from the gods lips flowed like the water, that had thawed beneath them, but hadn't yet engulfed them.

''I see your trust in me, Sorey of Elysia, for your trust in me, has allowed you to stay afloat above the sacred water of my resting place. From this moment on, speak my name with utmost loyalty upon your lips, and you shall forever be acknowledged as my Guard.''

The water swirled around them once again, as did the wind, whispering this time very clearly the name he already recognized.

''I swear my life and loyalty to you, Mikleo.''

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After the end of the ceremony, Mikleo let Sorey explore his temple some more. He watched in amusement, as the young man ran around excitedly through the passageways and hallways, commenting about some of the engravings, recalling all his knowledge of the centuries they may have came from, Mikleo adding his two cents, with clearly having more experience and knowledge about those centuries, since he himself had been around. They explored a bit more, before returning to the main room with the pool Mikleo had been resting in. He sat at the edge of it, brushing his fingertips over the surface, watching the calm water get startled by his movements.'

''I'm happy to see you enjoy it here, seeing how you shall spend your whole life down here protecting me, if a hellion shall show their heads in here.'' Mikleo said, not looking at his newly acquired Guard. 

Startled, Sorey gasped. He would have to stay down here?! But he just got away from a place he had never left for 17 years, and now to be locked up again, even to never see the sun again? And what about Alisha and Lailah? Would they not worry about where he had disappeared? And he wanted to see the world! But if an oath to the god meant that...then...

Too absorbed in his thoughts, Sorey turned quickly on his heal to face his God to try and reason and agree, his feet slipped and sent him tumbling into the pool of water. He quickly pulled himself out, spluttering out the water from his mouth, hearing a soft giggle in the room. He spotted Mikleo still sitting at the edge of the pool, offering his hand to help him climb out of the water.

''Just kidding. I don't want to be here any longer than you do, Sorey. After all, I have a world to explore. But I never would have guessed to wake up after such a long sleep and form a bond with such a naive and clumsy Guard. There is still much for you to learn, my Guard. And chaos waits for nobody. Now then, shall we go?'' Mikleo asked, already walking towards the exit of the temple, Sorey following close behind. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

''Mikleo, it's so good to see you again up and about!'' Lailah said happily, jumping the younger god, once they had reached the end of the stairs, and the water in the fountain cleared the secret passage away. The water god looked a little annoyed by the girl's close proximity, but returned the embrace. They talked about old times, Sorey feeling left out, until the conversation turned to his and Mikleo's oath to one another. Lailah filled him in on his duties, and then the talk turned into the trip they would soon be starting.

''In this world, there are still many gods, that are still sleeping, and waiting for the Guard of the Gods to come and awaken them from their slumber, so with their combined power, they shall form the world back to it's peaceful roots, that are still hidden. But, no matter how many Gods or Seraphim you meet along the way, your heart and soul shall forever belong to your High Lord. No greater pain shall you bestow on a god, who's trust you shall break. You have taken this oath, and shall serve him, until your duty has been fulfilled. So I ask you for the last time, Sorey of Elysia, are you truly sure this is the path in life you wish to take upon?'' Lailah questioned him, a serious expression. Mikleo offered him a suspicious glare, but Sorey ignored it, reaching for the God of Water's hand, lacing their finger together.

''From the moment I left Elysia, I knew of my wish, and it matched yours, Mikleo. There is so much I still don't know about this world, the spirits and gods delving in it, or even about you, but I am sure about one thing: I shall never break my promise, my Lord.'' He said, confidence pouring from his innocent young heart, that still hadn't seen the dangers of the world.

With a smile, Mikleo squeezed their hands together one last time, before looking at the horizon, just as the sun started to rise.

''Well then, let us start our journey.'' Lailah clasped her hands together, as the trio left through the main gates of Ladylake, not being around to see the large water wheel, that had been dormant for years in the city center, slowly start to turn.


End file.
